Eurhinosaurus

Genus of leptonectid ichthyosaur from the Early Jurassic period

Eurhinosaurus (Greek for 'well nosed lizard' eu meaning 'well or good', rhino meaning 'nose' and sauros meaning 'lizard') is an extinct genus of ichthyosaur from the Early Jurassic (Toarcian), ranging between 183 and 175 million years. Fossils of the aquatic reptile have been found in Western Europe (England, southern and northern Germany, the Benelux, France and Switzerland). They used to live in the deep, open sea area. Eurhinosaurus was a large genus of ichthyosaurs. An adult individual could reach up to in length. Eurhinosaurus followed the regular body morphology, with a fish like fusiform body including well developed dorsal fin, hypocercal caudal fin, paired pectoral and pelvic fins, and remarkably large eyes.

The name Ichthyosaurus longirostris was first published by Mantell in 1851 in a guide to the paleontological galleries of the old British Museum, where one of the ichthyosaurian specimens was displayed as Ichthyosaurus longirostris. That specimen had exceedingly slender and elongated muzzle, but the skull was crushed. No characteristic preserved. The specific name, longirostris, was just affixed to the specimen. Since the features were so unclear, scientists at that time were not able to name this specimen.

Eurhinosaurus was a large bodied, small toothed, slender ichthyosaur. The upper jaw was extremely long and lower jaw was weak but much shorter, which showed an extreme overbite, much as in the extant swordfish Xiphias. Their hindfins were about two thirds the length of forefins. Maisch and Matzke (2000), and an analysis by Marek et al (2015).

The postcranial morphology of Eurhinosaurus was intermediate between those super fast swimmers and slower, more flexible predators. Besides, the fossil of the Eurhinosaurus was found with some other ichthyosaurus or marine creatures such as ammonites. This was also the evidence could show Eurhinosaurus was a creature from the marine environment.